Mahjongg Kontpab WB rating out of 100

It’s not often that a first listen to an album will leave you with no reference points for its dissection and analysis. Bands these days seem to wear their influences all too unabashedly on their sleeves; either as a respectful nod to their idols or at worst in a retro, worthless ironic gesture. But of course, no artist can function in a vacuum of influence. On their second LP Kontpab, Chicago four-piece Mahjongg render their influences (no-wave, post-punk and electro-clash) sufficiently oblique and placed so far into leftfield as to be almost undetectable. The result is a captivating and refreshing album, with a sonic depth rewarding repeated and close listening.

‘Pontiac’ is a perfect opener to the proceedings, if somewhat atypical of what is to follow. Beginning with a carefully layered jumble of organic-sounding percussion, African in feel, the track takes over two minutes until the introduction of tuned instruments (throbbing bass and a bizarre synthesised cross between a marimba and a flute) and conventional percussion in the form of a drum machine. Just as soon as it has kicked in, muted chanting signals the beginning of the end of the track, as such ‘Pontiac’ is a perfectly structured blend of the organic and the electronic. Mahjongg certainly are an electro outfit, with synths and sequenced drums featuring prominently throughout the album, but it is their unique and inspired take on these often misused and by-now almost banal instruments, which set them apart from less noteworthy acts.

While tracks like ‘Pontiac’ prove their avant aspirations, others are more poppy. Mahjongg could be described as a ‘dance-punk’ outfit but that would sell them short. While they do subscribe to elements of this by turns maligned and celebrated genre (prominent jumpy basslines, sinuous guitar licks, and edgy rhythms), it is the obfuscating approach to composition and instrumentation that makes Kontpab such a rewarding album. More poppy numbers such as ‘Problems’ and ‘Those Birds are Bats’ feature detached and repeated vocal lines typical of the electro-clash tradition, however Mahjongg seem ill at ease with this arrangement and always find a way to push their songs into unexpected territory. One of the main hooks (and there are many) of the instantly compelling standout track ‘Tell The Police The Truth’ is a piercing siren-like tone, echoing the track’s titular theme and supplying an effectively urgent vibe. Alternatively, the highly melodic shouted verse of ‘Those Birds are Bats’ is perhaps the most straightforwardly catchy moment of the album, but it is set alongside an almost as forward hammering white noise that pervades the entire three minutes of the song.

Polyrhythmic complexity is a trademark of the Mahjongg sound and except for ‘Those Birds are Bats’, every track is punctuated by a melange of percussive effects. ‘Teardrops’ has about five versions each of snare, hi-hat, toms plus a range of other harder to place electronic tones. Synths and guitars too, and a mix of backing and lead vocals, processed chants and quietly spoken words often contribute to an overwhelmingly rhythmic effect. There is a warmth to Kontpab, however, which (like Radiohead’s recent offerings) manages to sound performed at the same time as such ambitious music must largely be sequenced. In achieving this, Mahjongg manage to transcend the electronic/organic divide and thus join the ranks of acts paving the way to a viable future music, built not solely on the foundations of past trends but on ideals of the moment. While solo acts such as Dan Deacon, Girl Talk, Panther and Yacht arm themselves to the teeth with an array of effects to be even able to perform their laptop-music convincingly live, on record Mahjongg always come off sounding like a band. Depending on your perspective, this may translate to a more authentic live experience.

Kontpab is definitely danceable music, and it definitely has an aggression destined for the dance-floor. The most striking feature of the album, however, is its ability to transcend the confining hallmarks of conventional indie-electro. If ‘alternative’ in the 90s sense is a bunk word, then perhaps reintroduced into our context Mahjongg could be described well and truly as an Alternative band. Either way, with assured touches of aesthetic variation and nuance, Mahjongg are artists to take seriously.